Vegetables An overview of the Vegetable industry in Georgia

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VegetablesAn overview of the Vegetable industry
in Georgia
Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum
Office Dr. Frank Flanders and Catrina
Kennedy October 2006
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Objectives

• Students will be able to
• Identify various vegetables grown in Georgia.
• Describe where vegetables rank amongst other
  Georgia commodities.
• Describe the value of various vegetables in
  Georgia.

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Georgias Commodity Value
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Bell Peppers

• Bell Peppers are green if harvested before
  maturity and red if picked when mature.
• Yellow peppers, a different variety, are
  harvested when mature.
• Bell peppers, commercially grown mostly in
  southwest Georgia, are available from mid-June
  though October.

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Lima Beans

• Lima Beans are grown in central and south Georgia
  and are harvested from June through November.
• Beans are among the oldest foods known to man.
• Columbus found native Indians in Cuba cultivating
  lima beans.

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Pole Beans

• Pole Beans are grown primarily east of the
  Mississippi River and thrive in south Georgia.
• They can be harvested 55 to 75 days after
  planting, with peak production in May through
  August.

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Southern Peas

• Southern Peas grow well in most Georgia soils but
  are primarily grown in central and south Georgia.
  
• Southern peas were brought to American soils with
  the first slaves from Africa.

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Cabbage

• Cabbage is available almost year-round with
  biggest harvests in spring and fall.
• Cabbage, one of the first vegetables grown by
  American colonists, is planted in both north and
  south Georgia near towns like Dillard and
  Moultrie.

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Squash

• Squash are those varieties with soft, edible
  skins and seeds and include green zucchini,
  yellow summer squashes and greenish-white Patty
  Pan squash.
• The names summer and winter squash are misleading
  because they have no relationship to harvest
  time.
• North American explorers took this native
  American vegetable to Europe, where it was
  completely unknown.
• Most of zucchini's flavor comes from the seeds
  the smaller the seeds, the better the flavor.

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Sweet Corn

• Sweet Corn is a part of summer's delicious
  harvest for centuries, is popular on the cob or
  used in a variety of recipes.
• Georgia corn is picked from June through
  mid-September.
• Corn is a member of the grass family, which
  includes wheat, oats, barley, sorghum and rice.

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Tomatoes

• Tomatoes are one of the state's top cash crops.
• Available throughout much of the year, tomatoes
  are grown in southwest Georgia.
• Native to the Andes Mountains, tomatoes were
  introduced into Central America by prehistoric
  Indian migrations.

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Greens

• Collards, kale, mustard and turnips are available
  almost year-round with the highest volume
  harvested from late December through March.
• On New Year's day, greens are served with
  black-eyed peas and hog jowls, a Southern
  tradition for good luck.

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Eggplant

• Eggplant thrives in Georgia's long growing season
  and is harvested from June through October.
• A cousin of the potato, tomato and tobacco,
  eggplant grows wild in India.

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Pumpkins

• Pumpkins are grown mostly in the northern region
  of the state.
• Georgia is among the top 10 pumpkin growing
  states.
• A candle in a glass is a safe and longer-lasting
  way to illuminate a pumpkin.

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Value of Vegetables in Georgia
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Interesting Facts

• Bell peppers are usually sold green, but they can
  also be red, purple or yellow.
• Tomatoes are very high in the carotenoid
  Lycopene eating foods with carotenoids can lower
  your risk of cancer.
• Actually a fruit, it took a ruling by the Supreme
  Court in 1893 to make the tomato a vegetable.
• The French used to refer to the tomato as the
  apple of love.

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Assessment

• 1. Where do vegetables rank among other Georgia
  Commodities?
• 2. What vegetable brings the most revenue to the
  state of Georgia?
• 3. Georgia ranks in the top ___ in pumpkin
  production.
• 4. What vegetable is served for good luck?
• 5. Sweet Corn is part of what family?
• 6. What vegetable is one of the oldest known to
  man?
• 7. What colors can bell peppers be?

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Answers

• 2nd
• Tomatoes
• 10
• Greens
• Grass
• Lima
• Red, green, yellow